Around 46,000 children are in ‘out-of-home care’ in Australia. There is a shortage of foster parents in the country and in some cases there is a need for people from a specific cultural background.

SBS | BY CHIARA PAZZANO

Children go into foster care for many reasons. For example, there might be family violence in the home or a history of neglect or physical abuse.

Monica* and her husband have three foster children, all from the same birth mother. They are five, three and a half and one years of age. 

After applying through an agency to become foster parents, they got approved for up to three children — zero to 10 years of age.